Saturday, May 10, 2008

RUM …. Life… live….

On Thursday night, more than two thousand people gathered downtown Amman. It felt like a magical hand opened the cage which people living in Amman were locked in… a brief invitation in the newspaper gave the key for people to breathe fresh air… enjoy a lovely night… in an ancient magnificent roman theatre …. Where what's remainder of the moon was invited too… all of that fabulous setting with a great concert RUM.. playing on the background…

The segmentation of those interested in such a divine concert arrangement is too wide… the segmentation is not about those who are into art.. it's not about those who can afford the ticket.. Since the show is for free.. Its not about those who are subscribed to the email list of a certain "art entity" and would attend after getting the email notification or a facebook event invitation….. The segmentation is much wider… much more humane..

The segmentation is about citizens… all citizens.. a real representative sample of the society… .. because the place is real the show is real.. the human interaction is natural… it is art.. it's not faked art… or tried out hard art….. that's why normal people can relate to it… the location itself with the atmosphere is a heavenly statement on its own…

This concert, unlike other art related shows taking place.. where you go and feel so alien.. not to the place.. but to the people and different energies.. and you can't really stop wondering have I fallen from space… or did all of these people just came for a visit from another country.. . people you have never met before… people you don’t imagine them to be your neighbors…. Unfamiliar faces… unfamiliar expressions… your heart finds it hard to synchronize with that vibe….

Coming to such a concert… even if you don’t know anyone there.. you would never feel out casted… you would never feel that you don’t belong… the faces will always look familiar… they will look like the people you live with.. your neighbors… the people you know… the groups you belong to… people you meet at grocery stores… people you might as well fall in love with one day….

Biographies of people who came… have love in common to all of them… they were either in love with Rum as a band, or the music… or songs names… or Amman… or Jordan.. … or fresh air.. or the ancient theatre…… or with the people they came with… or just in love with watching the moon playing hide and seek with the clouds…

The concert had great music pieces played…. And the uniqueness of such concerts is that when you listen to a song about Jordan… New Amman… Jerash… the piece doesn’t' necessary say that Jordan is green…. Wordless music is so powerful… . no words that raises opinions of agree or disagree … a musical piece that sounds good… and has enough harmony and is alive for us to embrace it as a song called Jordan… a song played on instruments with so much passion… with so much love… which makes us admire calling it Jordan…

Before the end of the concert… when the audience excitement and joy level rose… The crowd comes in and dances… those are my favorite people… those are the people who take the initiative to entertain others… who take the initiative to express their joy through their bodies…. As unprofessional as it may seem.. as horrible as they may dance.. You get entertained by viewing their bodies expressing joy…… they draw smiles on faces (serious people) and create loud laughter on others ( the more extroverts). In a country known for its national "Kashra" these people make you feel "Lessa eldenia b5air" ….

Let's hope the magical hand will always free Ammani's from the cage through coming summer nights… even if they just want to come and socialize with their families and beloved ones in such a great place… even if they are not interested in the music… and they just want to come and enjoy the glorious space… and socialize with the background of whatever concert is playing…. Let's hope the cage will be left open….

4 comments:

Deena
said...

Like always, you make it sound surreal and fanatstical, everything to you has another dimension :) At least this time I can say I have actually felt the same thing, the same vibe, the same honesty.... I went with Rasha to a Rum concert two years ago also in the amphitheatre, she is a huge fan, and the music was spiritual in a way I had never experienced before. i remember thinking that this is how angels must sound like wen they talk to each other...Although that time it was not free, so I really appreciate Tareq nasser's gesture to make art accessible to everyone. If only there wer more artists/visionaries like him.

A7la photographic skills roosh! heheheSeriously it is from your garden? I thought you ripped it off google images or something! must be a lovely start to your day having your morning cup of coffee out there (or in your case green tea loool) :)